By Yumna Bodiat
Edited by Imaan Moosa
Nikiwe Dlova is the founder of 'ownURcrown' and a Hair Art Creative, inspired by Africa culture, youth and fashion.
Nikiwe Dlova, creative hair artist. Photo: @inda_mix
Once Upon a Brothers Grimm, as the story goes, in an act of feigned superiority a miller lies to the king of the land, telling him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. The king calls for the girl to shut her in a tower room filled with straw and a spinning wheel, and demands she spin the straw into gold by morning. When an imp-like creature by the name of Rumpelstiltskin appears and offers to spin the straw into gold if the girl promises him her necklace in return, she hastily agrees. Straw is spun and turned into gold.
Like the familiar fairy tale, Nikiwe Dlova turns synthetic hair into rainbows. She weaves scarlet and lavender spools of synthetic hair into braided crowns and, instead of demanding promises from girls, she gives beauty and confidence to her customers.
This is the magic of the 32-year-old Soweto-born content creator and founder of ‘ownURcrown’.
At 28-years-old Dlova began experimenting with hair, finding an avenue through which to use and express her passion for hair artistry. She saw a gap in the market of hair salons catering for African hair and seized the opportunity to showcase her talents.
[My hair art] is a blend of inspiration and ideas. I am inspired by the African culture, the youth, fashion, and past and present cultural events.
Nikiwe Dlova working on her canvas Basia Wellu in Tanzania. Photo: Kynetic Studios
When inspiration sparks, she begins to create, fixing and adding ideas into the design.
The creative process is special because you have no idea how the piece is going to turn out. The headpiece might turn out totally different from the initial idea. It is about enjoying the process.
Dlova’s artistry is a riot of colour and beads woven into resplendent headpieces and weaves of knotted box braids and crochet braids. The glory and glow her creations boast is evident in the name ownURcrown.
[I wanted] to encourage people to own their individuality through their hair and for people to not be scared to be bold or creative when it comes to their hair expression.
UNICEF art director Camilla Garay wearing Nikiwe Dlova's creations. Photo: Justice Mukheli
Dlova wants Black girls and women to love and take pride in themselves because, as she says of her ‘Uniform Crown’ series, “The rules haven't changed since apartheid times. We are evolving so the rules need to change so that we understand and respect each other's cultures without discriminating how black pupils should look at school.
Uniform Crown series was basically fighting the school's hair policy to let pupils express themselves through their hair. Identity is a huge part of our culture especially when it comes to hair, so when that freedom is limited it is not fair.
'Uniform Crown' series depicted by Nikiwe Dlova wearing matching hair crown and school uniform. Photo: Harmonix
The fight for freedom of expression, which, as was witnessed nationally in 2016 with the Pretoria Girls’ hair regulations, is a fight Dlova has adopted because of its limitations on Black schoolgirls via expression of their natural hair.
Hair can be celebrated by using different hair braiding techniques, using beads or wool. These materials and colour are present in our traditional wear as well.
Nikiwe Dlova crowned South African activist and women's rights youth advocate Zulaikha Patel for Miss Teenager South Africa. Photo: Zane
She wants to keep the tradition alive and promote ‘Black is Beautiful’. However, fighting for the rights of Black girls and women did not begin overnight for lionhearted Dlova. She nurtured body positivity and self-love through the styling of her hair, which improved her relationship with her hair.
My relationship with my hair] helped me to get to know myself and to gain more confidence in myself.
She says by being herself and showcasing how she can style her hair, she has been able to give hope and “provide people with more options of expression by helping people see beyond hair expression”.
Unlike the miller's daughter who needed a magical creature to spin straw into gold, Dlova turns young girls and women into queens with the hair crowns she weaves.
Visit Nikiwe Dlova on Instagram to browse her magnificent array of hair crowns for purchase or hire. Alternatively, you can book an appointment with her by sending an email to ownurcrown@gmail.com.
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